Synthetic Oil

[rc51stierhoff]

It doesn’t really bother me either way synthetic or regular. I think engine wear is direct result of the crud in your oil. And to that I don’t think it matters regular or synthetic. It’s pretty clear that synthetic lasts (maintains the properties of the spec) longer so it probably lubricated better too, but that doesn’t change the issue of engine wear and the crud in the oil. Are you changing the oil because it is dirty, or because it has losts it lubricating properties? I typically follow the spec of the manufacturer and be done with it. Seems like they have done way more testing on the longevity of their engines than I could second guess. Change it close to the schedule and put the drain plug in before refilling.

 

[TheOldHokie]

It doesn’t really bother me either way synthetic or regular. I think engine wear is direct result of the crud in your oil. And to that I don’t think it matters regular or synthetic. It’s pretty clear that synthetic lasts (maintains the properties of the spec) longer so it probably lubricated better too, but that doesn’t change the issue of engine wear and the crud in the oil. Are you changing the oil because it is dirty, or because it has losts it lubricating properties? I typically follow the spec of the manufacturer and be done with it. Seems like they have done way more testing on the longevity of their engines than I could second guess. Change it close to the schedule and put the drain plug in before refilling.

Do you think engine deposits increase or decrease the service life of an engine? Or is that meaningless and an engine will last just as long usung an oil that oxidixes easily and loads parts up with deposits as it would using an oil that is more resistant to oxidation and produces fewer deposits??

Dan

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Do you think engine deposits increase or decrease the service life of an engine? Or is that meaningless and an engine will last just as long usung an oil that loads parts up with deposits as it would using an oil that produces fewer deposits??

Dan

I am pretty sure I mentioned no such thing nor following your point really (synthetic may be prone to fewer buildups but it’s not immune to it either). Nor did I advocate either type of oil. My simple point is change the oil on the schedule and keep it clean. I don’t think that matters regular or synthetic. Synthetic isn’t a magic elixir, it lubricates better but buildups can still happen.

5 Tips for Preventing Motor Oil Deposits

Lots of people like to keep their car clean. It's a good feeling to drive around town in a shiny car. But do you ever think about what your car looks like under the hood? Not just on the surface, but inside?

auto.howstuffworks.com

 

[TheOldHokie]

I am pretty sure I mentioned no such thing nor following your point really (synthetic may be prone to fewer buildups but it’s not immune to it either). Nor did I advocate either type of oil. My simple point is change the oil on the schedule and keep it clean. I don’t think that matters regular or synthetic. Synthetic isn’t a magic elixir, it lubricates better but buildups can still happen.

5 Tips for Preventing Motor Oil Deposits

Lots of people like to keep their car clean. It's a good feeling to drive around town in a shiny car. But do you ever think about what your car looks like under the hood? Not just on the surface, but inside?

auto.howstuffworks.com

I put no words in your mouth. My point is its not just "crud in the oil" that kills engines. Deposits play a major role in killing engines and synthetic oils are more resistant to oxidation and produce fewer deposits than conventional oils. That means longer engine life.

Fan

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I put no words in your mouth. My point is its not just "crud in the oil" that kills engines. Deposits play a major role in killing engines and synthetic oils are more resistant to oxidation and produce fewer deposits than conventional oils. That means longer engine life.

Fan

I completely agree.

 

[GeoHorn]

If your contrapshun is making so many contaminates that you’re worried about the filter “clogging up and by-passing”…..then you should spend your money on repairing it instead of throwing money away on synthetic motor oils.

There is no significant difference in filters designed for conventional vs synthetic oils..except in the evil minds of marketing depts.

(and the imaginations that run wild with magic-elixirs that do/don’t make deposits around here are astounding)

 

[Vlach7]

Ran my 1981 civic 96,000 miles with a bipass filter and never changed my Ams oil like I was instructed, "Will get 100,000 miles with the bipass filter", after the car lost power I put smaller tires on it, changed the oil and sold it, I should have checked the compression, last time I used Ams oil. Ran my 1986 Maxima on cheap Walmart conventional oil, changed every 5000 miles, drove it to the salvage yard with over 505,000 miles the speedo stopped working, Yes better quality car but my experience says those are cheap oil changes compared to a new engine, especially a tractor engine and yes I use synthetic in all my engines that are working hard, Motorhome, motorcycles, boat, especially air-cooled ones. I just change it more often still.

 

[skeets]

All I know is the HD went faster, the Silverado got better gas milage, and both Kubota's gained 20 hp..

 

[FTG-05]

The worst synthetic is better than the best conventional.

I first used syn oil back in the mid-70's for my Honda 350 motorcycle. Amsoil was all the rage back then.

 

[ferguson]

Oil & Grease are Cheep Maintenance Use A Name brand Oil & Filter / Synthetic or Not / Change at OEM Recommended Intervals / My 2 Cents

 

[TheMurf]

For what it worth. I have been using full synthetic oils since the 1970's..Spectro Platinum full synthetic in the Harleys over the years . Valvoline VR1 racing full synthetic in my Gravely or full synthetic Valvoline Harley 20w50 in the transmission and motor. Whichever the supplier has in stock. The Harley oil has additional additives for the wet clutches- pto. In the Kubota BX , Shell Rotella full synthetic diesel oil 15W40. In our car and truck, Mobile 1,our local repair shop stocks it. I will also use Red Line Lubricants. You can hear the difference in the valve train and engine and you can feel it when shifting or finding neutral on a Harley .

Everything I have researched, including specs l sent for, testing data,independent lab data, motorcycle magazines,car magazines articles and testing indicates synthetic oils are superior to conventional oil. New Corvettes, Ferraris, and even Jet engines, all use and recommend full synthetic oils.
That's just me, to each their own.I could never understand laying out thousands of dollars for cars, trucks, tractors, and equipment and then use cheap lubricants. Discussing oil is a sacred subject to many. Stick with what makes you comfortable. For me it's full synthetic and only full synthetic.

 

[lmichael]

Name brand Oil & Filter / Synthetic or Not / Change at OEM Recommended Intervals / My 2 Cents

Not true anymore in modern engines. Way back Toyota came out with a change in oil recs specifying synthetic. I was dumb enough to buy a Toyota the previous owner did not bother to do that with. He used proper grade and at proper times (every 6 mos or 5k miles. That engine was a sludge bucket and oil drain holes in the separators in the rear valve over got all clogged to the point it was sucking oil back into the intake manifold through the PCV system. There is a VERY good reason to use synthetic and that alone is one huge one

 

[GeoHorn]

Not true anymore in modern engines. Way back Toyota came out with a change in oil recs specifying synthetic. I was dumb enough to buy a Toyota the previous owner did not bother to do that with. He used proper grade and at proper times (every 6 mos or 5k miles. That engine was a sludge bucket and oil drain holes in the separators in the rear valve over got all clogged to the point it was sucking oil back into the intake manifold through the PCV system. There is a VERY good reason to use synthetic and that alone is one huge one

“…Specifying synthetic..” ??

Well…..Our 2018 Toyota specifically states in it’s Owner Manual that conventional oil is fine…. the only difference is a 5K mile change vx a 10K mile change….and if you research you will find that 10K mile oil changes on Toyotas eat pistons/cylinders around 100K miles.

This Master Toyota technician shows what happens to Toyota engines on synthetic oils that do the 10K recommended oil changes:

 

[lmichael]

We have 2 Toyotas. A 2011 and 2020. Both specify synthetic and do not say anywhere non synthetic is "fine" and the 2011 specifies 5k changes. The 2020 says 10 but I do 5. One specs 0W20 and the other 0W16 Not gonna alter what I do. My 11 has close to 175k does not leak, or lose a drop of anything. Cannot for the life of me figure what 2018 does not spec synthetic. And with the wealth of quality synthetics available today not using it for any reason is foolish at best. I started using M1 back when it first came out in the metal can and was only available as 5W20. I used it in my BMW R60/6, my Moto Guzzi V7, my 69 Caddy with a 472 V8, then my BMW 20002 (which I auto crossed BTW), never had leaking, engine trouble or anything
My buddy used it (still does) in his 66 Triumph Bonneville, his current Guzzi California specs Rotella T6 5W40 so he uses that in it,
Nowadays I don't stick to M1 but still use synthetics only and always have and will (well I can't say always have because prior to M1 coming out I did not)

 

[ferguson]

We have 2 Toyotas. A 2011 and 2020. Both specify synthetic and do not say anywhere non synthetic is "fine" and the 2011 specifies 5k changes. The 2020 says 10 but I do 5. One specs 0W20 and the other 0W16 Not gonna alter what I do. My 11 has close to 175k does not leak, or lose a drop of anything. Cannot for the life of me figure what 2018 does not spec synthetic. And with the wealth of quality synthetics available today not using it for any reason is foolish at best. I started using M1 back when it first came out in the metal can and was only available as 5W20. I used it in my BMW R60/6, my Moto Guzzi V7, my 69 Caddy with a 472 V8, then my BMW 20002 (which I auto crossed BTW), never had leaking, engine trouble or anything
My buddy used it (still does) in his 66 Triumph Bonneville, his current Guzzi California specs Rotella T6 5W40 so he uses that in it,
Nowadays I don't stick to M1 but still use synthetics only and always have and will (well I can't say always have because prior to M1 coming out I did not)

Im nor Talking High heat colse Tolerance gas turbine combustions / The thread was diesel tractor engines

 

[fried1765]

Exactly Dan and you definitely don't want a filter going into bypass mode sending unfiltered oil directly to the mains and other sensitive engine parts.

If I were going to push the drain interval using synthetic, I would continue to use the OEM or a well known branded equivalent and change the filter at the standard interval so that you might end up with two filter changes for a single oil change.

But I wouldn't buy synthetic oil for getting a longer change interval. My cars all get synthetic oil like they came with and my diesel pickup and diesel generator get synthetic 5W40 for easier cold weather starts compared to 15W40. At some point my Deere 955 and Kubota F2690 may transition to synthetic but neither gets high hours or abusive treatment and I suspect that using high quality conventional oil in them with regular changes will result in tractors where the engine will still be going strong long after the rest of the tractor is no longer economically feasible to keep operational.

Rodger

I use Rotella T 15W40 conventional in all three of my tractors and will continue to do so until I croak.
Being almost 83, I am not paranoid about engine life.
I have a 1972 Briggs 15HP with more than 2000 hours, that was never even equipped with an oil filter.

 

[mcmxi]

Like many here I've been using synthetic oil in engines for around 30 years and will continue to do so. I don't think it's luck that I've never had engine trouble in any of the vehicles I've owned. Ok, maybe some luck, but mostly I put it down to regularly checking fluids, regular maintenance and using good products. I drive a '98 Jeep TJ and '02 F250 and want them to run as well as possible for as long as possible. I've had the Jeep for almost 23 years and have done a lot of off-roading with it in hot and dusty conditions.

I use Schaeffer synthetic oil in the F250, MX, M and GL7000 generator. I haven't decided on what I'll do with the M1078, but it's highly likely that it'll get Schaeffer oil too. I run Mobil 1 in gas engines such as the Jeep. There's a lot of data out there showing the benefits of synthetic oils, and the cost difference isn't enough to persuade me to use a lesser product. I've had way too good of an experience running synthetics to change now.

 

[lmichael]

The Rotella oils are either synthetic or semi-synthetic.

 

[fried1765]

The Rotella oils are either synthetic or semi-synthetic.

I am not quite sure of that.
The Rotella T that I am using has been in my inventory for a few years.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I am not quite sure of that.
The Rotella T that I am using has been in my inventory for a few years.

Even today:

Conventional - T1 and T3
Synthetic blend - T4 and T5
Full synthetic - T6